NY Jets: Zach Wilson's 'not great' performance is not a cause for concern

The NY Jets held their annual Green and White scrimmage on Saturday. And for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, it was the biggest stage of his brief NFL career.

Fans packed the stands in MetLife Stadium hoping to see their rookie sensation dazzle and excite. But when the night came to an end, those in attendance couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Wilson struggled on Saturday. There's no other way to put it. He completed just 11-of-24 passes and tossed a pair of interceptions — neither of which was particularly pretty — to only one touchdown.

It was probably the worst we've seen the rookie first-round pick in his brief time with the organization. And it came at the worst time — with the most eyeballs on him.

NY Jets fans should not be concerned about Zach Wilson's poor performance.

The timing was unfortunate, and it will certainly generate plenty of knee-jerk reactions, but performances like this are to be expected.

Wilson is a rookie quarterback. Rookie quarterbacks struggle sometimes, especially in early-August practices. Even the best of rookie quarterbacks do — Justin Herbert was far from perfect last summer.

It's important to temper expectations, both with Wilson and the Jets. The team looks much improved on paper as compared to last year, but expecting a roster as young as this one to find immediate success is wishful thinking.

Wilson will have moments where he looks overwhelmed and inexperienced. As long as those moments are coupled with instances where he looks like the potential quarterback of the future, there is no reason to sound the alarms.

That's exactly what we've seen from Wilson this offseason. We've seen troublesome moments but we've also seen flashes of brilliance.

Such is life with a rookie quarterback.

Wilson spoke about his performance after practice and it was clear that he too was disappointed.

"Not great. I have high expectations for myself and this offense. I have to lead those guys. I have to make better decisions. But that’s why this isn’t Game 1. That’s why we’re doing this. I understand that. Of course, I’m going to be frustrated with myself, but I’m going to go back to the film room and find out what I can learn and get better for it."

Zach Wilson

Wilson is setting a high standard for himself, as he should. The Jets are hoping for big things from the man they're attaching the future of their franchise to.

But unlike how the organization expected Sam Darnold, his predecessor, to be the savior of the franchise, the Jets have vowed to uplift Wilson.

Growing pains are expected from rookie quarterbacks and Zach Wilson is no different.

Save the knee-jerk reactions for Week 1. There's no reason to be concerned about a sloppy practice in early August.